GREEN LIGHT

Our guy is hooked after his first Formula E race weekend in Hyderabad

- Saurabh Gamare

My love for motorsports began when I first saw Michael Schumacher's scarlet red Ferrari on TV. It was annihilating everybody that came in its way, and I still vividly remember how the V10 engine's howling sound made me feel as the Ferrari flew by. Fast forward to the present, nearly a week before Formula E made its debut in India on the streets of Hyderabad, Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc refreshed every Ferrari fan's memories as he took the wheel of Michael's precious scarlet red Ferrari from the 2003 season. The V10's visceral sound is still echoing in my head as Charles lit up the Abu Dhabi race circuit in the F2003-GA. I've had a spell cast on my mind as a result of watching that video an unhealthy number of times.

Call it good or bad, but times have changed, and we're moving towards a world where motorsports is evolving at an alarming rate. Formula E is in its ninth season. The Gen3 cars this season are a massive improvement over the Gen2 cars from last year, for instance. They're lighter, smaller, efficient, and can achieve a top speed of 322 kph. Currently, these are the fastest electric cars in the world. If I am being honest, I've never wholeheartedly followed Formula E; it was always an odd race or two every season. I was never interested in the electric whine of these cars until I saw them race in Hyderabad. Yes, you had to be present to see it. The sheer excitement, the wheel-to-wheel racing drama, and the brilliant drivers all contributing to the sport's allure.